(...continued)
Mumbai, Borivali Railway Station, At 5,15 am
In the month of June, Mumbai's rain was at its peak. The terrifying noise of thunderclouds was competing with the waves of the ocean. It seemed as though the clouds had burst open. The entire city was engulfed in thick fog and darkness. The wind was blowing at high speed. Small shopkeepers and hawkers were worried that their rooftops might not withstand the gusts of wind.
This atmosphere is not new to Mumbai city... In every monsoon rain falls like cats and dogs but, beneath it, this bustling city continues to run.
Motorman Tripathi doesn't get proper sleep these days, ever since his daughter returned from her in-laws' place. But for the past 33 years, his record has remained intact - his train has never been late. As soon as he entered the cabin, he lit an incense stick for Hanuman and played the Hanuman Chalisa on his mobile phone.
With great devotion, he took his seat and pressed the lever as usual. As soon as he pressed the lever, the Borivali-Churchgate local train gave a loud honk and started running towards Churchgate at lightning speed, following its schedule. Nowadays, the pick-up of German engines is dramatically fast.
In the pouring rain at the railway station, beggars slept here and there started abusing a motorist because horn disturbed their sleep. An old beggar's mind transformed the rail honking sound into terrifying nightmares. Out of fear, he urinated in his clothes.
A few stray dogs were sleeping in dry spots with the beggars. Urine reached to them. The young dogs barked angrily at the beggars, but the old dogs calmed them down. Once again, the sound of rain echoed through the station, and the clouds thundered away, leaving peace behind.
**********
The passengers on the running local train towards Churchgate were half asleep. Some were sleeping with a handkerchief on their face while others were sleeping with their face covered with the Indian Express newspaper.
The goods compartment had some hawkers with empty baskets who would return with fish or vegetables... Both men and women were in the goods compartment. It was raining heavily... the streetlights were flickering.. closed shops.. running opposite of the local train.
An old debauched man in the women's special compartment was enjoying his orgasm by touching the seats with his fingers...
It seemed like he was touching every part of a woman.. his sweaty face was proof of his thoughts.
All the windows of the compartment were closed.. the rain was still finding its way inside through the door.
A sixteen-seventeen-year-old drugzy boy was hanging on the door and getting soaked in the rain. He was swaying with the crosswind of the passing local train.. he was entertaining himself with self abusement. ..
Meanwhile, in the first-class compartment...
four well-dressed passengers, including a woman, were engrossed in deep conversation. They all seemed to be in their mid-thirties and probably working as executives for some company, as they were all wearing plain blue shirts and black pants with a red tie.
Two of them were busy with their Apple laptops, both nodding their heads..
"Yes, Rajabhai, got it... Ajay leaves his laptop to log out.. The screen is showing "Please wait.. logging out.."
Rajabhai ' You received Two lakh Rs.. Raise the invoice.. Do not keep it pending..'
After closing his laptop, Ajay declared, "Hey, I am thinking of starting a call centre in Bhayandar with an investment of four lakhs... (glancing at everyone) Would finance be arranged?"
With disagreement, Hasan said, "Listen Ajay bhai, don't you think you should keep something else instead of a call centre?.. Everything is shutting down...
How about a massage parlour?...
I am your partner...
Rajabhai, tell me, is there any future in a call centre?"
Rajabhai spoke fluent English with ease, "Finance can be arranged in a night. But Ajay is it a profitable business?"
Ajaybhai took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it on his lips. Hasan took the cigarette out of his lips and showed him the railway notice, 'No smoking.'
With a broad smile, Ajay put the cigarette back in his pocket. He puts his laptop inside the bag, which is shut down. "Khann's daughter came to me two months ago...
my neighbour. She works in a call centre...
did you know, what's her salary?"
Hasan and Rajabhai were looking at Ajay with questions in their eyes.
"One and a half lakh rupees per month!"
Hasan was surprised and exclaimed, "Don't tell me. One and a half lakh? Salary? Is she very educated?"
Ajay, looking out of the window, thought for a moment and said, "No, but her English is very good...
I asked her how many girls were in the call centre.
She said...
about forty."
Rajabhai was listening seriously.
Ajay continued, "Rajabhai, think about the owner's income.. who spends fifty lakh rupees a month on salary.., what would be his income?"
Rajabhai thought quietly, "You are right."
Now Ajay opened up the whole story, "Do you know where this income comes from? These guys take US-NRI numbers and make fraudulent calls, saying that you have pending taxes and have to pay a fine, otherwise you'll go to jail. The poor guy gets scared and deposits thousands of dollars into their accounts. I've heard the mastermind operates from Ahmedabad."
Rajabhai's eyes widened in shock.
Mickey, a tomboy woman, who had not been part of their conversation until now, chimed in, "To be honest, Rajabhai, I get a thrill in robbing houses... Money? A bitch also earns money."
Rajabhai gently tapped on Mickey's head with affection and said, "Mickey, you'll never change... Okay.. your payment is in cash..
and send the GST bill...
Tell C.A. to send the GST bill..
remind him about filing your taxes...
Don't be careless."
Rajabhai took out a bundle of two thousand notes from his laptop bag and handed it to Mickey. With a determined expression, Mickey placed the bundle in her purse..
By now, they had reached the Andheri station, and the rush was increasing. Amid the crowd, a man was speaking on the phone in a muffled voice, "Towards the engine...yes...first first-class ...six eighteen..
...Dadar station...fast local."
As they reached the platform at Dadar station, the crowd increased even more. Despite the rain, many men were carrying folded umbrellas in one hand and bags hanging at their front, while women carrying sarees with one hand and umbrellas in the other.. creating a flood-like situation on the platform. This was because the public changed the route from Thane-Kalyan.
In that life-threatening crowd, a restless pickpocket boy stood with anxiety. It was a stormy day in Dadar... People closed their umbrellas and ignored the rain.. and a terrible crowd formed... Water overflowed from the broken drain above the door and splashed down.
Rajabhai's team was climbing down through the crowd. As the crowd climbed up, the four passengers elite easily. In the meantime, the pick-pocket boy slipped his hand into Mickey's purse.
Mickey was alert and said, "You.. son of a bitch... take this."
The four travellers quickly got out. The pick-pocket was pushed inside with the crowd...
He screamed..
He looked at his hand and saw that it was bleeding... Mickey had hidden blade in her fingernail and struck the boy's hand...
After Dadar station, Mr Tripathi had increased the speed of the train as he got a three-minute signal in Andheri, so he had to cover up the time.
The boy with the pocket knife started slashing the crowd from the moving train in a frenzy, and he leaned towards the second door, jumping off between Dadar and Lower Parel in chaos.
He was crossing the tracks when the Churchgate Virar Fast train was on the other side...
Tossed him.. causing a long scream and a gush of blood. His lifeless body shattered into many pieces, with limbs detached from the torso. The middle part of his body was stuck to the train's front for a while.
**********
Mumbai -
Grant Road, around thirty years old Sorabaji building...
Almost at the same time..
The tap-tap sound of steady rain and the drops hitting the windows rattled the old Sorabaji building.
Some Parasi families are still using window AC.. surprisingly antique window AC units are still operating. The Parsi families love antiques.
The drops pattered on the pigeon pair on the windowsill. The couple snuggled together and groomed each other, keeping each other warm in the downpour.
The shops were closed. Some beggars had laid down near the shops on the sidewalk. A thirty-foot-high sodium lamp was spreading yellow light. Some stray dogs were excited in the rain. Jain people were feeding them glucose biscuits as a benevolence.
One of the dogs had rabies and it had bitten four other dogs. The pack of those four, five savage dogs had slept among the beggars yesterday. They had bitten and eaten a three-year-old girl. The child could not survive and was badly bitten in forty places.
The Jain people, who believed in mercy, had prevented the municipal authorities from taking the dogs away. Today, the dogs were enjoying the weather to their fullest. They found a chance to increase their pack size by mating with a female dog. Many dogs, aroused by sexual desire, to have sex with her, followed her...
attacked each other. There was violence everywhere. They did not care about the rain because of their sexual desire.
The seventy-year-old elderly Seetala Bai muttered in her sleep, "If a donkey meets a donkey, they will kick each other, and if a dog meets a dog, they will bite."
"Hey, be quiet and go to sleep," said blind Birju, another beggar.. he rolled his eyes in the darkness...
The rickshaw drivers who sleep on the pavement were in search of early passengers.. Early rickshaw services mean either having families in the village or working in a ten-to-five job.
Some street vendors were joking and taking tea with the rickshaw drivers. The raindrops were visible in the light of the street lamp. Innumerable dragonflies were flying around the bulbs in circles to search for their partners. When a male or female dragonfly collides, their wings fall off, and they fall to the ground. They do it to make a house for themselves.. by eating someone else's house.
Nilesh's family stays on the fourth floor of the Sorabaji Building.
Mother Sayali is accompanied with her little girl child Sushmita, who is in the eighth grade, sleeping next to her. Young Monica around twenty years old, is sleeping on the other side. Monica's skirt has slipped up towards the top... under the skirt, she's wearing black sleek shorts.
Raindrops are tapping hard on the glass window that shows the view of the other side of the street where the lights from a hotel sign are visible.
Monica is smiling in her sleep, maybe dreaming of a prince charming. This is the age. Due to the dopamine hormone flow in the brain women have sweet dreams during sleep.
She takes deep breaths while her chest swells and sinks in her sleep. It's dark inside the room except for the light coming from the hotel neon sign board.. she looks like a princess.
Sushmita is a cute little girl who has placed one leg on her mother and the other on her sister. She is mischievous and her skirt has slipped up to her waist. She has a birthmark on her right thigh.
Her grandmother was worried after seeing the mark on her leg, but gradually everyone forgot about it. She wears a thin silver anklet on one foot and the other anklet is near her head...
Her mother is sleeping with her hand placed on the girl... Her mother is wearing a typical Jaipuri cotton black and brown nightgown with a cotton skirt, silver anklets on her feet, and a small mangal sutra around her neck. The family seems to be enjoying a meal but appears to be going through some financial difficulties.
The distant sound of a local train can be heard along with the roar of thunderclouds. A fast-paced express train can also be heard honking its horn. In the early morning silence, a police van can be heard blaring its siren.
Underneath the building, in the vegetable market, the hustle and bustle of traders begins - unloading goods, arguments, and commotion.
These sounds are nothing new to the people of Mumbai.
They are fast asleep.
However, the sudden sound of a mouse running and squeaking from the bedroom window woke a mother up. As soon as Sayali woke up, she checked her phone to see what time it was. Just then, the alarm on her phone buzz out. Sayali was forced to wake up, turning on the light.
As soon as there was light in the room, she turned and looked at the girls. The woman quickly covered the elder girl with a blanket out of modesty.
Sayali was worried to herself, "Nilesh had said he would come in at night, it's been a week now. I don't know where he is, and his phone is out of reach."
In the kitchen, she splashed water on her face. She keeps water for tea.. visits the washroom...
sound of the flush, from the toilet, and Monica wakes up.
Sayali called out, "Su, wake up, darling. It's Parents' Day at your school today. I don't know where your father is. I'll come with you."
She kept muttering to herself about how it was her responsibility for everything...
Monica, "Oh Mom, let me sleep."
While still asleep, she shook her younger sister, "Hey, Su, get up or else I'll have to listen to mom's lecture too.
Sushmita wakes up without getting dressed.. her frock is pulled up high.. showing off her fair legs, and a strange birthmark stain is visible...
Sayali is busy in the kitchen.. she takes out kneading dough which was kept in the refrigerator yesterday and a few brinjal cuts. She keeps the pan on the gas stove to heat up and prepares the sandwich maker by placing two slices of bread, pre-made chutney, and salad. She turns on the sandwich maker and starts making chapatis...
Sushmita is feeling dozy, garlands hand from behind to mom. Sayali scolds her affectionately, "Come on, quickly get ready."
Sushmita heads to the washroom..
Sayali mutters to herself, "Oh God, new generation kids grow up fast, and my child doesn't want to grow up."
Sushmita calls out from the washroom, "Mama, where is my toothbrush?"
Sayali replied loudly from the kitchen, "It'll be there... where did you keep it last night?"
Sushmita responded, "Got it!"
Sayali continued her work and talked to herself, "I'm worried about Parents' Day...
I have to wear a new saree...
Was it necessary to put her in such an expensive school?... It costs a lot!...
It's been a week, where is Nilesh?"
Monica came and took out a sandwich from the sandwich maker, she put three pouches of tomato sauce in a plastic tiffin.
Monica asked, "Should I put the brinjals in the oven?"
Sayali gestured with her hand to say no.
Monica quickly started making the food and said, "Mom, be hurry, your 9,20 double-decker is important, if you miss it, it will be too crowded...go fast."
Sushmita was already getting ready, dressed in her organized school uniform, polished black shoes, white socks, and with her books neatly arranged in her school bag, she checked everything once more.
Sayali went to take a bath... the shower started.
Sushmita gets ready and she shouts out, "Mom, please be there by 4 pm, don't be late like last time...
Then the teacher scolds me."
Sayali responded while taking a shower, "Okay, I promise. If you want a good sandwich with cheese, just ask 'D'."
Meanwhile, Monica took out a thin layer of cheese from the fridge and kept it in the tiffin box.
Sushmita's friend Malaika is standing outside the building with an umbrella.
She shouted from down side, "It's time to go! The bus may arrive anytime."
Sushmita replied loudly, "Coming!" and quickly grabbed her school bag, tiffin, and phone before running down... While leaving, Sushmita left the door open... In Mumbai, no family leaves the door open at any time. The sound of heavy rain can be heard...
Sayali said from inside the washroom, "D, please close the door. Look, she must have left it open again." Because mothers know their children's habits.
Monica closed the door until Sayali came out with only a towel wrapped around her waist, she had with fresh face.
When a girl grows up, she becomes her mother's best friend, and there is no veil with a friend.
Sayali has used clothes in her hands that she throws in a pile of ten or twelve clothes in a corner outside the washroom.
Sayali walks into the bedroom where a double-door wardrobe is kept, filled with clothes stacked haphazardly. Due to the small size of houses in Mumbai, common people usually don't have a lot of furniture. In Mumbai bedrooms, there are only a bed and a wardrobe, and some folded items... always.
Monica brings her mother's tiffin. Sayali takes out a towel, in front of Monica. She's wearing only pink innerwear. Due to her upbringing in the village, she has a very lean and toned body even at the age of forty. Her belly was flat, her hips were round, not square.
She started searching for the saree in the wardrobe, Monica was helping her with.
A Good Morning message from 'Jignesh' pops up on Monica's WhatsApp. She glances at it from afar and makes a face of ignoring it.
They both agree on the beautiful maroon saree, and Sayali starts wearing the matching blouse. Monica is often amazed by her mother's extreme beauty.
She drapes the saree beautifully, puts the purse on her shoulder, and looks at the clock. Only five minutes left before nine. She hurries to open the door with an umbrella in her hand when the doorbell rings.
Rajabhai and Ajay Bhai are standing outside, drenched in the rain, the same people who were travelling in the Borivali train.
Due to the urgency, Sayali called out to Monica, 'Hey, someone's here, I'm leaving.'
Monica replied from inside, 'Ok, bye.'
By the time Monica finished saying goodbye, Sayali had already descended four stairs.
As she reached the door, Monica asked, "Yes, who is it? Who are you?"
Rajabhai came forward and said, "We are friends of Nilesh, we have a message from him." Usually, when strangers meet in Mumbai, they start with English. Then they switch to 'Hinglish,' a mixture of English and Hindi.
Monica asked, "But...where is Papa?"
Ajay became restless at this question and said in between, "He'll come soon, dear. The company has sent him to Delhi."
Monica said, "Dad's phone is not reachable...come inside, uncle."
Rajabhai refused to come inside.
"No dear, nothing to worry about.. he will call you today evening.. His message is that there is a patient in ward number 32 of Sion Hospital..."
Looks towards Ajay and asks, "What is his name?"
"Balayama.. yes.. Balayama.. please meet him."
The rain doesn't seem to stop, and clouds continue to thunder. Monica is about to say something, but they both leave immediately. Someone has increased the volume of the TV in the neighbouring flat, and the sound of the motor running fast and loud on a fishing boat can be heard...
(...What happened next?...)